Lamp-wick



(No Model.)

P. M. LYTLE.

LAMP WICK.

Patented Nov N. PETERS Phnwlnhogmph", waningmn, ma

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

FnLToN M. LTTLE, or BoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAMP-WlCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,935, dated November29, 1887.

Application tiled J ani-lary 8,.1`S87. Serial No. 223,760. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern..-

Beit known that I, FELTON M. LYTLE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new andusefulImprovements in Lamp-Vcks, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved wick forburning oils which shall be much less combustible than otherwicks, but,by reason of its peculiarities, resemble the ordinary cotton wick asnearly as possible in the manner in which the oil is supplied andconsumed at the point of ignition.

It is Well known that the tip of an ordinary cotton wick does notmaterially consu me after the heat has charred or carbonized its fiber,butserves as anuniniiammable tip to the Wick from which the flame rises;but this carbonized portion, having little stability and firmness, fallsaway, and, further, the wick must be frequently trimmed from time totime to make an even and steady llame, even for ashort time.

Now, my present invention consists in an improved wick for use in lamps,composed ofI porous carbon,which not only presents a burningsurface forthe llame of precisely the same material that is formed naturally intheuse of an ordinary cotton Wick, thus/ making probably the best supportfor the Haine, butalso one that is Stable and can be used without material consumption, and consequently needs no trimming to keep itsdame-supporting surface even and constant.

It further consists in the combination, with an ordinary cotton Wick, ofa burning tip of carbon mechanically connected thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view cfacarbon wick embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinalsection ofthe same. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 represent `end views, showingdifferent forms. Fig. 6 represents an edge view, showing a carbon tipapplied toa :librous wick. Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and ll represent differentforms in which the carbon Wick may be formed.

Similar letters of reference inthe several figures indicate the sameparts.

In` carrying out my invention I make a Wick, a, of carbon, preferably ofthe kind that is made porous or spongy and capillarywthat is to say,having numerous small cells so communicating throughout the length ofthe Wick as to form ducts adapted to convey oil up- Wardly'through theWick by capillary action. Such porous wick may be formed by grindingcrude masses of carbon to a very ne powder, agglomerating the powder bymeans of a Sirup or other like material into a stiff paste, pressing thepaste in a mold or dieinto the form of the Wick, and tinally renderingthe molded piece of carbon porous and capillary by submitting it toahighheat with free access of air.

Any other suitable processof making the carbon porous may be adopted;or, if preferred, the wick -may be cut or sawed from a mass of carbonthat has previously been made porous.v

I prefer to supplement or aid the capillary action of the cells in theporous carbon by artiticially forming small longitudinal ducts b b inthe wick by small rods or wires placed in the mold or die which formsthe plastic carbon wick, said rods or wires being subsequently removed,leaving the uninterrupted longitudinal passage b.

The surfaces of the carbon wick may be provided With narrow grooves c,asin Figs. 4, 5, and 10, operating by increasing the surface to causethe oil to pass up in said surfaces by capillary action, and in thiscase the Wick may have the straight internal ducts or passages, as inFig. 4, or may be formed Without them, as in Figs. 5 and 10.

The carbon wick may be ofless length than required to conduct the oilfrom the reservoir to the bnrner-that is, it may form a practicallyinconibustible constant tip secured mechanically to a fibrous Wick, fw,as in Fig. 6, the lower end of the carbon being provided with the groovein its lower side, `formed by the lips a a', in which the fibrous wickis mounted and in which it is secured in any suitable manner. In thepresent instance, however, I employ a two-prongedflfastener, f, similarto an ordinary paper-fastener, inserted through holes formed in the lipsce a', and the ends separated and turned down. I do not desire to beconfined, however, to these devices, as the carbon and iibr o s wick maybe detachably connected by various other means without departing fromthe spirit of myinvention.

IOC

The carbon wick may have an enlargement at its lower end to increase thearea immersed in the oil, as in Fig. 7.

The carbon wick may be cylindrical, as Shown in Fig. 8, or annular, asin Figs. 9 and l0, for Argand burners.

Fig. l1 shows a form of wick suitable for oil-stoves.

My invention is not limited to porous or spongy carbon, though this ispreferred.

The ducts b b maybe formed in solid or nonporous pieces of carbon as theonly means of conducting the oil, or both the d nets b and thesurface-grooves c may he formed in nouporous carbon Wicks. The use ofporous carbon is much to be preferred, however, as the capillaryproperties of a wick made thereof are much greater than those of a wickof solid or non-porons carbon having artticially-formed ducts I), andthe oil also will soak into the tip more, giving a support for thellame.

lit will be seen that a carbon wick is much less destructible kthanother materials, and is not liable to be broken or injured by handling.Moreover, the Wicks can be made very cheaply.

I prefer in usingY porous carbon to cover the sides ofthe wick withvarnish or other analogous material to forni an oil-proof coating, o, asin Fig. 3, to prevent the oil from exuding along the sides of the Wickin its upward pas sage.

1. As an improved article of manufacture,

a lamp-iviek of carbon .having ducts or channels for the passage of theoil by capillary action, as set forth.

2. A lamp-wick composed of porous carbon, as set forth..

3. Alampwick composed of carbon having longitudinal duets or channels bb, as set forth.

4. A lamp-wick composed of porous carbon having longitudinal ducts orchannels b b, as set forth.

5. The combination, with a carbon tip, of a mechanically-attachedfibrous wick, substan tially as described.

G. The combination. with a carbon tip, of a Wick of fibrous materialmechanically attached thereto, substantially as described.

7. A wick of porous carbon having an external oil-proof coating,substantially as de scribed.

S. The combination, with a carbon tip having a groove, of a fibrous wickinserted in said groove, and devices for securing the two together, asset forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing,r witnesses, this 5th day of J an nary,1.887.

A FELTON M. LYTLE.

Witnesses:

3. F. Bnowrt,

D. HliinmsoN.

